Improved attachment of sails



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH W. NORGROSS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED ATTACHMENT OF SAILS.

Specicat'ion forming part of Letters Patent No. 44,445, dated September 27, 1364.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Capt. J. W. N oRcROsS, of Boston, in the county ot' Sudolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new `and Improved Rigging; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a side elevation of a sail rigged according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the mast in the plane indicated by the line a; x, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a similar section in the plane y y, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 :is a perspective view of the grooved rib and slide.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists ot two metallic grooved ribs placed longitudinally up the mast on its after or hinder part, to extend as far up as it is desirable to hoist the sail. These ribs are grooved on the outside and inside. In the outside groove is to be placed a movable carriage 0r slide, to which is attached the boom or gaff, which works on universal joints.

lIn the inside groove are placed a series of small sliding carriages, which will be attached at intervals to the sail so as to hold it close' to the mast. 'Similar ribs, with the inside grooves only, will also be placed on the upper side of the boom and on the Linder side of the gaif to admit a series of small carriages, to which the lower and the upper edges of the sail are secured in such a manner that in hoisting and lowering the sail the slides run freely in the grooves and do not get jammed or entangled, like the ordinary hoops 5 and, furthermore, thc sail by this arrangement is held at all times atthe after center of the mast, and as a consequence receives the direct force of the wind, whereas the hoop allows the sail to swing to the leeward side of the mast, thus putting a large portion ot' said mast between the Wind and the sail when the vessel is beating to windward. The bending and unbending of the sail is also greatly facilitated by this improvement.

rIhe improvement consists, further, 1n a cap a )Jlied to the small carriages for the ur ose Il e of preventing the fastening by which the same are attached to the sail from chafin g.

A represents a mast constructed in the ordinary manner. Secured to the after or hinder part of this mast are two ribs, B, cast or otherwise produced out of suitable metal and secured to the mast in any desirable manner. The ribs are made in two parts, because it is easier to manufacture the same; but I do not wish to confine myself to this precise construction of the ribs, and reserve the richt to make the same solid or in any other desirable manner. Each of these ribs is provided with a groove, a, on the outside, and a similar groove, b, on the inside, and they are placed close together, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, so that the outside grooves, a, form the guide for the large slides or 'carriages C G, and the inside grooves, b, for the small carriages D. The large slides O C carry the boom E and the gait' E', which are attached to the same by universal joints c', and the small carriages D are attached by suitable fastenings and at convenient intervals to the sail F. Ribs Bi, similar to the ribs B, but having only the inside groove, are to be secured to the upper side of the boom and to the under side of the gatf, to receive small carriages which are to be attached to tlielower and upper edges of the sail, as clearly shown in Fig. I of the drawings. The small carriages are provided with caps c, to prevent the fastenings which attach them to the sail from chaiing. Each of these carriages is to be secured to the sail by fastenings passing` through two groinmet-holes, to impart additional strength to the entire rigging. In hoisting and lowering the sail the several carriages and slides move in the grooved ribs witliont gettingjammed or entangled, like the hoops. If an intermediate fastening gets loose, the small carriage to which it had been attached moves up and down without interfering with the motion of the others, whereas if an iiiterinediate hoop becomes unfastened it seriously iiiterferes with the motion of its neighbors. When the sail is made, the small slides are fastened to it by the sail-maker, and iii putting it on vessel is carrying sail.

either on the boom or gaii', nothing more is rei made with friction-rollers to facilitate their quired than the simple pull upon the haul-out i motion.

tackle which belays on the under side of the l I claim as new and desire t0 secure by Letboom and tightens the sail, Whereas with the l ers Patentordinary method of lanyards this operation l 1. The grooved ribsB B,app1ied to themast,

cannot be done without loosening said lanl and also to the boom and ga, if desired, and

yards, and it cannot be done at all when the i arranged to receive the bearings C C D, in the i manner and for the purpose substantially as My invention also obviates the use of a l described.

small mast which is aft of the large mast on 2.. The caps c, applied to the small carriages square-rigged vessels, as by my arrangement D, substantially in the manner and for the purthe sail can be attached to the large mast. l pose specied. Y

Furthermore, it is the best possible arrangei JOSEPH W. NORCROSS.

ment for a ships spanker or after fore-andi Witnesses:

aft sail. JAMES P. HALL,

If desired, the slides and carriages may be l M. M. LIVINGSTON. 

